Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-30

fern. and seen the mother and baby laid
down under it one side of the fire, he
stretched himself on the other side, with
his head on the mail bags, and thought out
what he'd decided to do. The woman and
child must get to Gundaroo, and before the
next night, too; so must the mails. Lady
could carry them well enough, but she
couldn't carry him as well. Very we'll;
then he'd stay behind and walk. Lady
would go along the track through the
forest alone he knew, and if only the girl
would have the pluck to trust herself to
the mare. and Just sit still and hold the
reins, they'd all get to Gundaroo safe as
church. She could then deliver up the
bags at the Postoffice and tell them to send
out search party to look after her hus-
band, and his chum and a horse to meet
him.
He knew he was sure to get into trouble
with the authorities for risking it, especially
if it failed and he knew, too that it was
no fun to be left to walk through the forest
in riding boots and breeches, and with
nothing but few biscuits and pistol.
The water barr'l he meant to fill and fix in
its place behind the saddle, and the rest of
the tin of milk and the bread (damper, of
course, you know, and the timed meat.
Women needed deal of feeding, especially
when they'd a baby to feed too, he
thought. And she must take one of the
pistols.
His chief fear was she'd be too soft
hearted to like to leave him behind, and
yet he knew it couldn't be done under a
couple of days, or more likely four, if they
tried to go altogether. Though he said
Damn her Majesty's mailsp' he darent
delay 'em so long, for all that. "Damniug"
wouldn't hurt EN- or him either bur de-
la., H. Il. i
them, and him, too!
As soon as it was light he set to work
separating the things he was going to keep
from those he was going to send on with
the Royal She-mail" as he called her in
joke to himself. He looked at the two
sleeping the other side of the fire under,
the open. sky. The kid was comfortable
enough, Graded in soft arms; but the
mother was iying just about as uncomfort-
ably as it is possible to lie, so as to shelter
the child. Standard, who noticed every
thing, made note of this, and thought
he'd work on her maternal feelings most TO
get her TO go on in the morning.
After he'd fed Lady about five o'clock,
he groomed her up in style, for he used to
say, he must have the horse that carried
the Royal She-mail" as smart as possible.
Later on, when he saw the woman after
her nights rest in the fresh early morning,
and had got her to eat bit of breakfast.
he was quite pleased TO see how much
better she looked.
He'd great work, he said, to make her
go without him, though she wasn't bit
afraid for herself. He had to say he
shouldn't be so far behind, and swear he
could walk pretty nearly as fast as Lady a
go, and so on. He showed her how to fire
the pistol, and told her to let Lady choose
the way if she felt doubtful about the track
among the gum trees, OF course, he cheered
her up all he could, though feeling bad at
letting a woman and baby go alone all that
way. You see, there were bushrangers to
be feared then. Hewas afraid to say much
about taxing care OF the mails for fear of
frightening her. He Just said, there they
was, in front OF the saddle, and that she
must take EN- straight to the office, and
not let any one but the people of the Office
touch them. Then he told her about send
ing the two parties back to meet him and
her husband. He said-as he saw her sit
ting so easily in the saddle, and the baby
lying in her lap, tied to her by her shawl
and her right arm free for the pistol, if need
be, his spirits rose a bit-she looked able to
do it. He wanted to give her his mail
badge, but she says no, she wouldn't have
it. Shed be safer without. He didn't
quite see what she meant But when it
was all over-but there, if tell you the
story that way you'll know how it ended
too soon.
Well, there amt much more to tell after
all. Mother, she rode straight along the
track into Gundaroo. All! see I've told
you now! Yes, it was my mother, that
was; and I'm the baby
She said why she wouldn't wear the
badge was for the same reason as she hung
her shawl over the mail bags as soon as
she was out of Standards sight No one,
she thought. would think woman and
child worth robbing. -
She left him just at the beginning of the
forest. He says he walked by the horse a
bit to see how she carried her, and then he
let her start off at a gentle canter. He
used to say he never felt so dead lonely as
when the brave young creature turned
round and waved her hand and says,
od-by, and God bless you for saving
his life n'-meaning me in her arms-and
then was hid from him in the trees.
Well, to cut a long story short, mother
and me rode into Gundaroo at 8 o'clock
two and half hours after time. All the
place turns out to see who it was. A woman
| riding alone with baby They were all
so took up with the young woman (my
mother was very personally young
woman) they never noticed she was on
Lady, though there must have been lots
as knew Standards mare well enough.
Mother was dead tired and l was asleep,
rs comfortable as ! am now by this fire.
She rides straight up to the Postoffice,
and one of the chaps lifts her down but
she wouldn't let one on em touch the mail
bags, but drags them off herself, and saws,
standing on the doorstep with me in her
arms, and the mails at her feet If you
please, gentlemen, I've brought in the
mails. The gentleman lent me his horse.
l was lost; and will you send horse to
meet him. He's walking from the fern
gully. And Lady is to be seen to, please"
And then she drops down on the step
pretty night done.
The chaps set to and cheereG her-cheer
after cheer, til mother was drawn in
out of the noise by the Postmaster's wife
who told 'em they ought know better than
make lady so shame-taced so tired as she
was, too. The old lady was quite as aston
ished as any of them, for all she said to the
chaps to hold their noise, and quite proud
to have the first hearing of it all from
mother, as she put her and me to bed in
her own room. Well, the end of it was,
Standard he was met right enough 8nd
brought in the next afternoon, But they
never found my poor father and his chum
not till months after, and then it was
bones they found Mother, she stad on
and helped the Postmistress at Gundaroo
who was getting oldish.
So that's how a woman brought her Ma
jesty's mails into Gundaroo, and that's why
I'm called Het
Dent see why? Oh, forgot to say that
when l was christened, month or so after
mother called me after Standard, as he had
saved us both. Didn't tell you his name
was Hector?-Het, for short Het Standard
he was-Tm Het Bannerman but mother.
she is Mrs. Het Standard now, Postmis-
tress of Gundaroo. / dessay you guessed as
much.-MacRiiIara' MdgaziRe.